Diving in college hockey

[Wilbur]

Obviously an issue we see come up again this weekend was the overabundance of players taking a fall to draw a call in college hockey. My question is, whats the solution? If you were the NCAA how would you solve this issue that is turning NCAA hockey into World Cup Soccer?

What gets me is when a player lays down for ten minutes, and scores a powerplay goal after the fact or doesn't miss a shift.

Should the NCAA enact policies requiring a player to sit for a period if he receives medical attention on the ice? I'd love to hear other ideas on how to get rid of this crap.

[Goon]

Obviously an issue we see come up again this weekend was the overabundance of players taking a fall to draw a call in college hockey. My question is, whats the solution? If you were the NCAA how would you solve this issue that is turning NCAA hockey into World Cup Soccer?

What gets me is when a player lays down for ten minutes, and scores a powerplay goal after the fact or doesn't miss a shift.

Should the NCAA enact policies requiring a player to sit for a period if he receives medical attention on the ice? I'd love to hear other ideas on how to get rid of this crap.

Until the refs start calling this there is nothing that can be done about it. Look at Nic Kerdiles this past weekend, he diving, flailing and flopping all over the ice. He would make Ryan Kessler and Alex Burrows blush.

[yzerman19]

Diving is cowardly-

First, the officials need to call it. Then maybe treat diving progressively against the whole team, i.e.

first dive is two

second is five

third is a ten

Add to it with cumulative player penalties like fighting i.e. third dive called on you in a season and you sit a game

The other thing that needs to be called is players turning their back to a checker...it is up to both players to avoid a dangerous hit. in a situation where a puck carrier turns their back to the checker, both players should sit for five and a game.

[Wilbur]

Diving is cowardly-

First, the officials need to call it. Then maybe treat diving progressively against the whole team, i.e.

first dive is two

second is five

third is a ten

Add to it with cumulative player penalties like fighting i.e. third dive called on you in a season and you sit a game

The other thing that needs to be called is players turning their back to a checker...it is up to both players to avoid a dangerous hit. in a situation where a puck carrier turns their back to the checker, both players should sit for five and a game.

Canada used to/maybe still does have a penalty for "Turtling". I wouldn't mind seeing this instituted into college hockey.

A couple weekends ago at the Mooch Nate Schmidt for Minnesota was hit and then instinctively put his head down and dove straight into the boards. In my mind they've got to start with a ten minute misconduct.

[choyt3]

When one stated solution by the wcha's head of officials is to have coaches bench kids as opposed to putting the onus on the officials by calling a penalty that is already on the books, a solution is no where close to happening.

[brianvf]

That was sweet justice this weekend on Park's 1st goal on Saturday night.

At the other end when Mac got his stick up on the UW player and the BADger dove like he was picked off by a sniper from the upper level. The ref (and Mac) indicated dive and then it was turned up ice and 5 sec later it's in the back of the UW net.

Sure, the UW bench was complaining that there wasn't a call...but IMO if all you're doing is diving half the night looking for calls, it's nice to see them get burned on one when they didn't get the call.

Stop diving and start playing hockey. Simple as that.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Lost all respect for UW this weekend, that was a cowardly display. Haven't seen that much flopping maybe ever in college hockey. Game needs to change to penalize that stuff severely.

[Wilbur]

The problem with leaving it to the coaches is that it won't accomplish anything. Having a player on your team dive is embarrassing (at least when I coached I couldn't stand it). And you're honestly hoping that the coaches will step up and bench a kid when basically you're just reiterating the fact that you've recruited yourself a diver.

Jerry York wouldn't bench Tony Voce when they made an appearance at the Ralph a while back in the Parise days when he flopped all over the place. Jack Parker didn't bench that kid that got Mac tossed when UND played BU earlier this year. Eaves has been coaching divers for years and nothing has changed there.

Those are in my opinion the best coaches in college hockey, who you would hope would have the integrity of the game in their best interests.

A dive=a ten minute misconduct plus unsportsmanlike conduct two minute minor.

[Frozen4sioux]

When one stated solution by the wcha's head of officials is to have coaches bench kids as opposed to putting the onus on the officials by calling a penalty that is already on the books, a solution is no where close to happening.

Very very accurate.

[Goon]

A dive=a ten minute misconduct plus unsportsmanlike conduct two minute minor.

Kyle Rau and Nic Kerdiles would be in the box all night long.

[geaux_sioux]

A dive=a ten minute misconduct plus unsportsmanlike conduct two minute minor.

Although that sounds nice, it will never be considered because it is so subjective and nobody (other than the integrity of the game) is in danger like they are in a cfb situation.

A two min minor would be a start and would be feasible.

[Oxbow6]

Kyle Rau and Nic Kerdiles would be in the box all night long.

Was surprised by Nic. Didn't expect that type of play from him.

[Wilbur]

Kyle Rau and Nic Kerdiles would be in the box all night long.

I wouldn't mind a committee put together put in charge of handing out penalties for alleged diving/other unsportsmanlike activities.

If illegal hits are reviewed there is no reason that diving incidents can't be reviewed. I agree, definitely not as serious as a CFB major, but the hockey purists out there all agree its ruining the integrity of the game.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

After the fact review could work... Kind of like fines and suspensions in NFL

[ringneck28]

I like the idea that either embellishment or a dive is 10 minutes. I also like the idea of cumulative for a suspension.

[Crevec]

After the fact review could work... Kind of like fines and suspensions in NFL

I think that something like this could be very effective and have it more like the NBA system for flops:

1st time is a warning

2nd time then could be like a period in the next game (the player would have to spend the time in the penalty box until the end of the first period or be a healthy scratch for the entire game, this could be the coaches decision)

3rd = 2 periods just like before

4th = 1 game

5th = 2 games

6th = 3 games

etc.

[GFG]

Nothing will change in the near future unless officials call penalties. In private, coaches at this level aren't going to discourage their players from taking the occasional dive or make a slight embellishment. Why? Because it's rewarded far more often than it hurts your team and every small reward can help your team win a game, which is all that matters to the coaches. Publicly there's no doubt every coach will say they don't like it, but in reality they really won't say anything about it to players other than to be more discreet or something if they get caught.

Wisconsin was extremely bad Friday night with their never ending diving/embellishing. Grimaldi had a pretty ridiculous embellishment in OT Friday too in which he was rewarded by drawing a holding penalty. Yes it should have been a hold on the Wisco defender, but Grimaldi also made Kyle Rau's embellishments look subtle with that one. Do you think Hakstol is going to bench Rocco for that? Hell no.

Can't rely on coaches to bench the players. Only way to fix it is to start calling two minute minors for it every time you feel there was a dive or embellishment so that the risk outweighs the rewards of it.

[sprig]

Wisconsin was extremely bad Friday night with their never ending diving/embellishing. Grimaldi had a pretty ridiculous embellishment in OT Friday too in which he was rewarded by drawing a holding penalty. Yes it should have been a hold on the Wisco defender, but Grimaldi also made Kyle Rau's embellishments look subtle with that one. Do you think Hakstol is going to bench Rocco for that? Hell no.

Hardly comparable to Rau dives. I'd have to see a replay again on Grimaldi's, but the Wisco Dman had his arm around Rocco's neck, easy to embellish that if you choose. And not nearly as blatant as multiple Wisco dives, especially in the third period Saturday night.

I think Mac would have been given a hooking penalty, if Little hadn't made a very obvious dive. Best Wisco could have done with that one is matching minors.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Not sure why UW even wants to go on the PP, they were awful with the extra man!

[Sioux87]

Nothing will change in the near future unless officials call penalties. In private, coaches at this level aren't going to discourage their players from taking the occasional dive or make a slight embellishment. Why? Because it's rewarded far more often than it hurts your team and every small reward can help your team win a game, which is all that matters to the coaches. Publicly there's no doubt every coach will say they don't like it, but in reality they really won't say anything about it to players other than to be more discreet or something if they get caught.

Wisconsin was extremely bad Friday night with their never ending diving/embellishing. Grimaldi had a pretty ridiculous embellishment in OT Friday too in which he was rewarded by drawing a holding penalty. Yes it should have been a hold on the Wisco defender, but Grimaldi also made Kyle Rau's embellishments look subtle with that one. Do you think Hakstol is going to bench Rocco for that? Hell no.

Can't rely on coaches to bench the players. Only way to fix it is to start calling two minute minors for it every time you feel there was a dive or embellishment so that the risk outweighs the rewards of it.

Anyone have video, I want to see this embellishment.

[YaneA]

Hardly comparable to Rau dives. I'd have to see a replay again on Grimaldi's, but the Wisco Dman had his arm around Rocco's neck, easy to embellish that if you choose. And not nearly as blatant as multiple Wisco dives, especially in the third period Saturday night.

I think Mac would have been given a hooking penalty, if Little hadn't made a very obvious dive. Best Wisco could have done with that one is matching minors.

Rocco was clearly clotheslined.

[Goon]

Anyone have video, I want to see this embellishment.

Yep, you can see them in this blog post...

[dagies]

I wouldn't mind a committee put together put in charge of handing out penalties for alleged diving/other unsportsmanlike activities.

If illegal hits are reviewed there is no reason that diving incidents can't be reviewed. I agree, definitely not as serious as a CFB major, but the hockey purists out there all agree its ruining the integrity of the game.

I agree with this. Sometimes the dive is easy to see (the correct non-call on MacWilliam Saturday night) but sometimes it's got to be tough for the officials to pick out at game speed. I'd have no issues if the league reviewed every penalty and picked out the obvious dives.

Then send a warning to that player and coach that the player was ruled to have taken a dive, and the on ice officials for the next week have been warned. If the on-ice officials deem the player to embellish, he'll receive a minor penalty for embellishment as well as a bench penalty will be called for unsportsmanlike conduct. 5x3 PP right there.

[Cratter]

Mac hooked the player so bad it made Wisconsin player lead forward twenty feet and he had to drop his stick to catch himself from the brutal fall!! Ha

[GFG]

Hardly comparable to Rau dives. I'd have to see a replay again on Grimaldi's, but the Wisco Dman had his arm around Rocco's neck, easy to embellish that if you choose. And not nearly as blatant as multiple Wisco dives, especially in the third period Saturday night.

I think Mac would have been given a hooking penalty, if Little hadn't made a very obvious dive. Best Wisco could have done with that one is matching minors.

I never said it was more blatant than all of Wisco's dives, I just pointed out that Grimaldi did it to since its been completely ignored while talking about diving/embellishing. Don't get me wrong, what Wisconsin was doing doing this weekend as a team was absolutely ridiculous and pathetic. I didn't think Grimaldi's fall in real time looked right with how he went down but I gave him the benefit of the doubt because he was definitely held. The replay, however, showed VERY clearly that he embellished it.

I am in no way saying UND does this a lot or did it more than Wisconsin (because obviously they didn't), but it did happen on Grimaldi's play. It's just something that every team does and like I said earlier, until they really crack down and start calling penalties every time they think there was embellishment or a dive it's just going to get worse.